Side bearing for cars.



.No. 759,304. v PATENTED MAY 10,1904; J. E. NORWOOD.

SIDE BEARINGFOR CARS. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 7, 1903. RENEWED MAR. 30, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1v WW W s I w mm mm No. 759,304. PATENTED MAY 10, 1904.

v J. E. NORWOOD. SIDE BEARING FOR CARS.

APPLIOATION FILED my 7, 190a. RENEWED MAR. so, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

Patented May 10, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. NORWOOD, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

SIDE BEARING FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,304, dated May 10, 1904.

Application filed May 7, 1903. Renewed March 30, 1904. Serial No- 200,'74=1. (No model.)

To all whom it may 00771067 721.

Be it known that 1, JOHN E. Nonwoon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Marylanchhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Side Bearings for Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use 1 the same.

This invention relates to side bearings for cars,and more particularly to the class of roller side bearings wherein the weight of the car is sustained by a series of balls at each side of V out the necessity of loosening the means that holds them to their respective bolsters. This construction is for use in lieu of the old arrangement wherein both upper and lower race-plates are fixed to the body and truckbolsters,respectively, and if the race-plates are found to be out of alinement when the body is set upon the truck the attaching-bolts of the bearing-casings must be loosened and the casings shifted to rectify the race-plates. At other times the race-plates fail to aline by reason of reversing the truck, such as when the body has been jacked up and the truck removed for repairs. With the present construction proper alinement of the race-plates is easily and quickly effected under these different conditions. O

An additional object of the invention is to provide an arrangement which will permit of ready application and removal of both the upper and lower race-plates without removing the bearing-casings, other objects and advantages of the invention being understood from the following description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure l is a side elevation showing a side bearing embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through the side bearings, the bearingballs being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken transversely through the bearing and showing one of the bearingballs in elevation. Fig. at is a top plan view of the lower bearing-casing with the race-plate therein. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through one end portion of the upper bearing-casing, including the plug for the opening through which the. balls are entered. Fig. dis a detail perspective view of the plug.

Referring now to the drawings, the present side bearing comprises what may be termed an upper bearing-casing and a lower bearing-casing. The upper bearing-casing is shown at 10 and is preferably in the form of a casting having a passage 11 formed longitudinally thereof, the inner faces of the side wall being concaved, as shown at 12, and the bottom of the passage having a narrowed slot 13, which extends longitudinally of the bearing-casing and terminates short of the ends thereof.

In the passage 11 is a series of bearing-balls 14 of equal diameters and greater than the width of the slot 13, so that the balls will be prevented from falling out of the passage through the slot 13, while they are permitted of free movement longitudinally of the passage.

The central portion of the passage 11 is straight; but the ends thereof are curved upwardly, as shown at 15 and 16, the upper ends of the passage or the upturned ends of the passage being closed.

From the upper edges of the concaved portions 12 of the side walls of the passage 11 said passage is broadened gradually upwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 3, to form a seat for a race-plate 1.7 of corresponding cross-section. Formed in the seat for the race-plate'are a series of transverse ribs 18, known in the art as chipping-strips, these ribs or chippingstrips depending from the top of the seat and projecting inwardly from the side walls thereof, the side portions of the chippingstrips converging downwardly, as illustrated.

The bearing-plate 17 is embraced by the chipping-strips and is forced into engagement therewith through the opening 19 in the end of the bearing-casing. The bearing-casing is of arc shape, as is also the race-plate, and the race-plate readily slides into its seat in engagement with the chipping-strips and is held against displacement by friction. 1n the opposite end of the bearing-casing from the opening 19 is an opening 20 in line with the race-plate and through which may be introduced a tool or bar for driving the race-plate out of its seat and through the opening 19.

The opening 19 serves to permit of introduction of the bearing-balls 14, the opening 20 being of much less diameter than that of theballs. To close the opening 19, a plug 21 is provided which fits in the opening and has wings 22, which rest against the end of the bearing-casing and limit the movement of the pluginto the opening. At the upper end of the plug is a retaining-finger 23, whichis engaged in a recess 24 in the under side of the flange 25 at the end of the bearing-casing, the recess being of suflicient size to permit of the casting of a soft-metal seal 26 against the finger. The seal prevents rearward movement of the finger, so that when the plug is subjected to pressure of the bearing-balls there is a tendency for the plug to swingpivotally on a center within the retaining-finger. The are of such pivotal movement of the opposite or lower end of the plug, however, intersects the lower face 27 of the opening 19, so that such pivotal movement is prevented, and thus the plug is held securely in place. To remove the plug, it is necessary first to remove the metal seal.

It will be noted upon reference to the drawings that when the bearing-balls are in contact with the upper bearing-plate 17 the lower portions of the balls depend or project slightly through the bottom slot of the bearing-casing, so that they may contact with the lower bearing or race-plate 28.

The lower bearing or race-plate 28is of arc shape and has'the same curvature as the upper race-plate, its length being somewhat greater than that of the upper plate, for the reason which will be presently explained. The lower race-plate is removably disposed in a seat 29, in what may be termed a carrier or traveler 30. The seat 29 is a channel formed longitudinally through the traveler, which is itself arc-shaped, and the seat is increased gradually in width toward its bottom and has formed on its bottom and side walls the transversely-extending ribs or chippingstrips' 31. The race-plate 28 is increased gradually in width from its upper face to its lower face, so as to it within the embrace of the chipping-strips, and it is applied and removed by sliding it longitudinally of its seat, the friction between the race-plate and the chipping-strips being suflicient to prevent the race-plate from sliding longitudinally in action.

The traveler or carrier for the lower raceplate is mounted upon a base 32, having perforated ears 33 to receive securingbolts. Through the central portion of the base-plate 32, which is of greater thickness than the ears 33, are formed two slots 34, which extend transversely of the base-plate, and in these slots are engaged the depending lugs 35,which are formed upon the under side of the traveler 30. The traveler is of malleable metal, and the lugs 35 have cars 36, which normally depend, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and which are bent outwardly against the lower face of the base-plate, so as to prevent upward displacement of the traveler, while permitting of lateral movement thereof upon the base-plate. It will be noted that the slots in the base-plate are countersunken, so that the lower ends of the lugs 35 may not rub upon the bolster upon which the base-plate is secured.

To facilitate lateral sliding movement of the traveler, the mutually adjacent faces of the traveler and base -plate are provided with transverse ribs 37 and 38, respectively, which rest one upon another',so as to reduce the friction. The under side of the base-plate has strengthening-ribs 39, or, in other words, is of skeleton formation to reduce the weight.

Projecting from the sides of the traveler 30 and extending above the race-plate 28 are pairs of arms 10, the arms of each pair lying one at each side of the traveler and spaced apart a sufiicient distance to receive the upper bearing-casing between them, sothat when the upper and lower bearing-casings are in cooperative relation the upper bearingcasing will be held by the arms 40 with the upper race-plate in alinement with the lower race-plate. If when the bearing-casings are brought thus together it is 'found that the casings have not been so attached to their respective bolsters as to have all of the parts aline, then the traveler may be shifted laterally bodily or at either end so as to bring the race-plates into alinement, the mere engagement of the upper bearing-casing between the arms 10 serving to automatically aline the parts, as will be understood.

In the operationof the bearing the upper bearing-casing swings with the body-bolster to which it is attached, while the lower bearing-casing, with the lower race-plate, swings with the truck, and in this movement of the parts the bearing-balls travel along the upper race-plate and off from the end of it into either upwardly-extending end portion of the passage 11, the balls that remain in action traveling along the lower race-plate. When the parts swing in the opposite direction, the balls that are in action move in the opposite direction and permit the balls that have passed from the upper race-plate into the end portion of the passage 11 to return into active positions.

It will be understood that either race-plate may be mounted for lateral movement with respect to the other to insure alinement and that modifications may be made and that any suitable materials and proportions may be used for the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. A side bearing comprising upper and lower cooperating members and interposed antifriction devices, one of said cooperating members being mounted for adjustment transversely of the path of movement of the antifriction devices to aline said members.

2. A side bearing comprising upper and lower coi'n'ierating members and interposed antifriction devices, one of said members including an attaching element anda race element adjustable thereon into and out of alinement with the cooperating member.

3. A side bearing comprising upper and lower bearing-casings having each a race element,and antifriction devices held in one of the bearing-casings in position to engage the race element thereof, the other bearing-casing having its race element mounted for adjustment into and out of alinement with the first-named race element.

t. A side bearing comprising an upper bearing-casing having balls therein and a slot through which the balls project and a lower bearing-casing comprising an attaching-plate, a traveler and a race-plate, mounted in the traveler, the traveler being movable to aline its race-plate with the race-plate in the upper bearing-casing.

5. A side bearing comprising upper and lower bearing-casings each having a race element, the race element of one casing being mounted for movement into and out of alinement with the race element of the other casing, antifriction devices between the race elements, and guides carried by one bearingcasing disposed to receive the other bearingcasing and aline the race elements.

6. A bearing comprising a casing having an open-ended seat which is increased in width in the direction of its bottom, and a race-plate fitted in the seat and slidable therefrom.

7. A hearing comprising an upper casing having balls therein and a longitudinal slot in its under side through which the balls project, and a second bearing-casing including an attaching-plate having transverse slots and a traveler having headed lugs engaged in the slots of the attaching-plate and movable transversely of the latter, said traveler having a race element to receive pressure of the balls.

8. A side bearing comprising a bearingcasing having a longitudinal ball-passage and a slot communicating with said passage, of a tapered seat inthe upper portion of the passage, a race-plate slidably engaged with the seat and balls Within the passage and adapted to project through the slot, said casing having an opening at one end of the ball-passage in alinement with the seat, and a closure for said opening.

9. A bearing-casing having a ball-passage therein, balls in the passage and projecting from the casing, a seat in the passage, and a race-plate in the seat and slidable longitudinally into and out of engagement therewith, said casing having an opening disposed for passageof the race-plate therethrough into and out of engagement with the seat.

10. A hearing comprising a-casing having a ball-passage therein and a slot communicating therewith, balls in the passage and adapted to project through the slot, a seat in the [)ELSSlLgO, a race-plate slidably engaged in the seat and held therein against vertical displacement, said casing having an opening in alinement with the seat and a closure therefor.

11. A hearing comprising a casing having a ball-passage therein and a slot communicating therewith, antifriction devices in the passage and adapted to project through the slot and held against passage through the slot, said casing having an opening leading to the passage :for introduction of the antifriction de vices and a recess adjacent to said opening, and a plug fitted in the opening and having a finger extending at right angles to the direction of movement of the plug from the opening and engaged in the recess, and a seal cast in the recess and holding the linger against lateral movement therein.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. NORWOOD.

W'itnesses:

MURRAY I-IANsoN, BENJ. W. BERRY. 

